Almost 10 month old won't self-feed!

How did you get DC to self feed? She picks up the puffs or fruit and squishes it or just holds on to it. I've tried directing it to her mouth but she closes her mouth and eyes and turns away complaining.

Also, I haven't been able to get her to drink from the sippy cup - although I haven't tried in a month.

Re: Almost 10 month old won't self-feed!

We haven't given DD solid food yet, but we can't get her to hold a sippy cup or even her own bottle.

Re: Almost 10 month old won't self-feed!

DS gags on almost any solid food, so he really can't get the pieces that are small enough for him to manage into his mouth, though he could handle larger items (a whole cheerio or puff).

He cannot do a sippy cup though. He holds it and plays with it, but he does not, will not drink from it. If I hold it for him, he gets mad and refuses to drink from it. Not sure what that's about.

He is 10 months old.

Re: Almost 10 month old won't self-feed!

I started DS on a sippy cup at 6 months maybe a little earlier. The first thing I did was remove the no spill valve. He made a mess, water was all over, but he got the idea that something he may like was inside. Then I took it away for a bit because he wasnt getting it and re-introduced it around 7 months with teh valve in. He would chew on it but sometimes he woudl accidently get liquid and eventually he got it. I would just keep giving it to DC and dont just put water in it, try with Formula as well, or even a diluted juice.

As for self feeding, DS loves to eat, so that didnt take much. I would just put him in his highchair before meals and put a few puffs on his tray, eventually he understood that these were for eating not playing. But for awhile he did lose more than he actually ate.

I think the biggest thing is to keep at it, and if they dont like one thing, like puffs or the fruit, try other things like cut up meatballs etc. Eventually somethign will entice them enough to want to put it in their mouth.

ETA: As for the bottle, I have heard that its a hit or miss thing. DS was holdign his bottle by 7 months, but we were at a picnic and a friend said his 14 month old will NOT hold it for anything. So I would focus on the sippy cup for now.

Message edited 10/6/2008 4:57:25 PM.

Re: Almost 10 month old won't self-feed!

DS didn't self-feed until 13 months. I called EI because I was so concerned. It was nothing. Once he started, he never stopped. (ETA: He also never put his own paci in his mouth, but he'd give himself a bottle.) Give it time.

Re: Almost 10 month old won't self-feed!

Sounds like DD- she would pick up cheerios or puffs and feed them to US or someone else but she would just throw them. When she wanted them she would open her mouth like a baby bird. One day around 10 months she just started feeding herself and it never stopped- she would shovel them in 2 or 3 at a time.

Re: Almost 10 month old won't self-feed!

I wouldn't worry. Give it time and she will eventually do it. I would try different things like wheat puffs, bits of cheese, soft bread, teething biscuits, etc. Whatever you think she is able to chew at this point. Just keeping putting it on her high chair or in her hand and eventually she will do it. At first you may have to put it in her mouth and she may just play with the food. This is what I did for awhile and then eventually my DS started doing it himself.

Re: Almost 10 month old won't self-feed!